Forever Strong
by S.A. Tsukasa
Summary: As children, one must listen to everything a parent has to say. But what if, by some tiny chance, they were wrong? What will it take to stand up for a belief, a lifestyle, a life? How far would you go to continue living as Mother wished?
1. Role Model Material

Author's Note: Sadly, this is not a new chapter for _No Mr. Ketchum, You Can't Have a Baby_. But don't worry, the chapters are coming. For arguments sake, let's say this is like an add-on to the previously mentioned story, since all the characters are present. All of these stories will center on Erik and will range from mildly funny to mildly sad. I say 'mildly' because I'm not sure where this story fits.

Pairing: PalletShipping

Dedicated to: Bittersweet Romanticide, because of her unbelievable foreshadowing abilities...Scared the crap outta me, it did...And the fact that she freakin' **KNOWS** Erik. I swear, I think she personally knows him.

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo Game Freak and Pokemon USA. Erik and Ms. Parker are my little puppets, no matter how unoriginal they are.

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Chapter One:

Role Model Material

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Erik Parker, eight years old and the perfect incarnation of human heterosexuality, was watching television in his room. He had just come home from a long day at school. No need to explain further. A battle was being broadcast live through the entire Kanto region.

It was between some random nobody that Erik could really care less about, and the reigning champion of the Battle Frontier, (and Erik's hero), Ash Ketchum. Erik was on the edge of his seat. The battle was intense and fierce as neither pokemon was ready to give up.

Erik admired the way Mr. Ketchum called out his attacks with so much confidence. Erik wished he had that kind of confidence...He wished he was out there with Mr. Ketchum.

He would cheer for him the loudest. And when the referee would call for the five minute break, Erik would run up to Ash with a nice cool water bottle waiting for him.

And then, Ash would wink at Erik, and call him his 'little boy' and then...

The crowd in the television started going wild. Erik turned his attention back to the battle.

It was unbelievable!

'Ash Ketchum pulled an astounding victory!' crowed the MC. 'and overcame the challenger with a last minute win!'

Erik jumped on his bed, screaming at the top of his lungs **'Yes, yes!'** Mr. Ketchum had won the match!

Ms. Parker could hear him from her bedroom downstairs and she would come up any moment now to tell him to shut up, but he just didn't care right now.

Ash Ketchum cradled Pikachu in his arms and waved towards the audience. Erik almost stopped breathing when Mr. Ketchum looked straight into the camera and gave it a thumbs-up. Mr. Ketchum was just so cool!

"I want to be just like Mr. Ketchum!" Erik whispered to himself. If he didn't whisper it, then his mother would hear it and tear it away from him.

He would be just like Mr. Ketchum. Mr. Ketchum was just about the coolest person on the face of the planet!

Erik watched gleefully as Mr. Ketchum walked towards his opponent. The young boy knew what Mr. Ketchum was about to do. Mr. Ketchum was going to shake the trainer's hand and invite him or her to lunch. He did that all the time. Erik decided to take a look at the challenger, the lucky guy who would spend a day with the Pokemon champion.

His heart stopped. But just for a moment.

The lucky guy was...so many things Erik just didn't understand. The man, the former nobody, was a little taller than Ash Ketchum. He had brown hair and dark green eyes.

His eyes glanced at the camera in a way Mr. Ketchum did not.

To Mr. Ketchum, the camera was just another friend.

This man regarded the camera as if it were as real person. He looked almost scary.

Erik crawled closer to the television screen. The man, whoever he was, certainly didn't look like any trainer. He looked just like a professor.

'Can you believe it folks, Gary Oak isn't the least bit phased by his defeat!' the MC roared over the heartfelt cheers of the audience.

Gary Oak (Erik whispered the name a few times) just chuckled.

It was nothing like Mr. Ketchum's boyish chuckle. That was a grown-up chuckle, the kind adults and teachers gave to little kids like Erik.

It was condescending.

Mr. Ketchum stood in front of Mr. Gary Oak...

...And kissed him right on the lips.

Erik could feel the blood rushing to his face. _Why? Why did Mr. Ketchum just do that...? _He felt really upset for some reason, as if Mr. Ketchum had betrayed him or something.

"Better luck next time Gary-boy!" Ash chortled before walking out of the stadium, laughing at the top of his lungs.

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Author's Note: Sorry about this, I just liked Erik and I wanted to expand his character a little more. Chalk it up to my love of tying up loose ends.

Review, flame, whatever.


	2. What Mother would want

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak and Pokemon USA. As far I know Erik and Ms. Parker are mine.

Author's Note: This is just the first chapter. There will be a lot more concerning plot, which will, hopefully, lead up to the big fic I've been working on. I'm writing this because I like Erik's character. Bittersweet Romanticide, if you are reading this, know that you have a hand in this creation too. Without further ado, I give you Erik's story.

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_Words are powerful. They can encourage or ensnare. The simplest phrase could evoke the most complex of emotions or dig up past fears. If words have this much power, then how much strength does ones name carry?_

_Erik- 'powerful' 'ruler of the people' 'king' 'forever strong' _

Ms. Parker's son has a very big problem, and he isn't sure what he should do.

First, I will introduce you to Ms. Parker's son.

His name is Erik Parker. He is eight years old, average height, average weight.

To Ms. Parker, he is the embodiment of the perfect heterosexual young boy. 

To his classmates, he is a teacher's pet and the star player on their school's sports team.

To his neighbors, he's a bastard child. 

Yes, I said it, bastard.

Erik is a bastard.

Ms. Parker denies all accusations of course, but that's not the point.

The point is that Erik Parker has a rather large problem and he has no idea how to deal with it.

Erik wants to see Gary again.

After that Pokemon league tournament, he could not stop thinking about the older man, or the other man with him.

Gary and Ash haunted the poor boy's dreams in much the same manner as they haunted his mother.

Only, they were haunted for different reasons.

Very different reasons which I am sure you have already figured out.

Erik wants to be a pokemon trainer.

If he becomes a pokemon trainer, he'll have to see Gary Oak. Gary Oak was the professor that every ten year old went to see to receive their first pokemon and start their journey.

If he becomes a good enough pokemon trainer, he'll be able to meet Ash again. 

It was a fairly decent plan, for a boy with very little options and even less of a backbone.

He dreams of Ash's smile and Gary's laugh.

He dreams of walking down the beach with them...Just a walk, just a nice short walk down the beach.

Maybe they could have a picnic, and Gary could teach him how to swim.

Ash would watch from the sidelines and give pointers to him.

Then, Ash would dry him off with a towel and together, all three of them, would lie down on the sand and let the sun dry off their skin, their hair.

Ash would find some seashells and put them on his bare stomach. He would call Erik his 'little boy' and tickle him until he couldn't breathe.

Erik could never remember what Gary would do. He would wake up to see his mother again and he would be forced to live a life he didn't want.

Erik wanted to be a pokemon trainer.

His mother wanted him to be a surgeon.

His teacher wanted him to take the lead in the school's musical.

Erik just wanted to go to sleep again, where he would do whatever he wanted. He would be with Ash and Gary, just going for a walk on the beach.

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It was Friday afternoon when it happened. Erik was walking home, imagining that Ash and Gary were walking on either side of him when he saw it.

A pokemon.

It wasn't anything rare or unusual, just a Teddiursa. The area was well known for being surrounded by Ursaring. The Teddiursa was just a baby, barely old enough to walk. 

It stared up at him, with hungry, little eyes. Erik stood rooted to the spot. What should he do? What should he do? He looked around, in case anyone was in the surrounding area.

And, of course, there was no one around. 

The little Teddiursa crawled towards him, whining once or twice to get his attention.

Erik didn't need to understand pokemon to know what the Teddiursa was saying. 

'_Please, feed me. Stay with me. Love me. Take me with you. I'll be good...'_

Now Erik felt silly. Surely the little Teddiursa didn't say all that.

Standing up a little straighter, Erik tried to step around the little pokemon. It proved to be a useless attempt. The little bear butted its head against Erik's leg, its tiny claws pawing at his knee high socks.

Erik felt himself die a little inside. He couldn't leave the poor thing by itself. It was obviously hungry for food and attention. 

But there was no way he could take it with him.

He bent down to pet its head, admiring how soft its fur was.

'I can't take you with me.' He whispered to the Teddiursa. 'My mother would never let me keep you...' 

The little Teddiursa rubbed its head against his fingers. It pleaded again, with its eyes and its voice. A deep hum resonated from its body. Erik could feel the vibration from the very tips of his fingers.

'_Please, take me with you. I'll love you. I'll be good. I'm so hungry. No one wants me. Please want me. Please? Please? Please?'_

It took all of Erik's will power to turn away from its eyes. The Teddiursa pleaded again, its soft whines becoming just a little louder, a little more eager.

He tried to side step it again, only this time he kept his eyes trained on the other side of the street. Erik could feel tears welling up in his eyes. 

He wanted to take the Teddiursa.

**He couldn't take the Teddiursa.**

He wanted to help the baby pokemon.

**There was no way he could; his mother didn't want him to be near any pokemon.**

Erik took only a few steps before he felt the soft paws on his leg again. It was one final, desperate plea. Erik could feel the tension in the air. 

The Teddiursa needed him.

**Erik needed to get home.**

The Teddiursa didn't have a home.

**Maybe it does.**

Maybe it doesn't, the Ursaring have already migrated further north.

"Ursa!" screamed the baby pokemon, snapping Erik out of his thoughts. He looked right into those hungry dark blue eyes and knew that...he had to refuse them.

"I...I'm sorry..." his soft voice barely more than a whisper, "I-I...I'm sorry..." He couldn't walk away from the little bear. His body was rooted to the spot. 

He didn't _want_ to leave the baby Teddiursa...it just wasn't fair...

The Teddiursa crawled closer to him. Didn't it know when to give up? Didn't it know that Erik couldn't take it home with him?

Erik took a few steps closer to the Teddiursa, until he was standing right in front of it. He dropped to his knees, and reached out to pet its head...

Teddiursa bumped its head against his fingers again. And again, a soft hum filled the air around them. Again, Erik could feel the pleasant tingle of the vibrations in his fingertips. 

A small soft smile spread across his face.

He wanted to take Teddiursa with him.

Teddiursa wanted him to take it with him.

...Mother would let the Teddiursa stay...if it lived outside...right?

Erik reached over to pick up the baby pokemon. The Teddiursa wiggled a little, unused to human touch. Soon it relaxed in his arms. Erik almost laughed; it wasn't as heavy as he thought it would be. He held it like one of his baby dolls back home, the ones Mother used to play with as a child.

'I'm...sorry about earlier...Teddiursa...' he whispered to the pokemon as he rocked it in his arms. The pokemon was drifting off to sleep. Erik could see a smile on its face too. 

'I'll take care of you Teddiursa...' he breathed, '...I'll love you...I'll want you...for all of forever...' 

Erik stood there for a moment longer, wondering what he was going to do now. 

Well...he would have to buy food for Teddiursa...and toys for Teddiursa to play with...and a nice bed for Teddiursa to sleep in...

Erik was nearly beside himself with excitement. Mother would definitely let him keep Teddiursa if it slept outside. And Mother would be happy with a Teddiursa around because it was so cute. And definitely... definitely...absolutely...without a doubt...

Erik could see it all now. He and Teddiursa would be the best of friends. They would play in the park together. With the see-saws, on the swings, in the jungle gym, they'd play on everything. He and Teddiursa would play dress-up together too. Teddiursa would be the dashing young prince who came to ask the princess to play outside.

They would dance in the rain, like that guy in the movie.

They would dance in the third class section of a sinking ship, too.

They would sing songs and solve mysteries.

They'd watch cartoons together, and eat together and sleep together...

They would be like Travis and Old Yeller...only Teddiursa wouldn't get sick.

They'd be like Jack and Rose...only Teddiursa wouldn't go off and die.

...They'd be just like Christine and Erik...no...That one's sad too...

Erik held the sleeping Teddiursa closer to his body. Well, whatever the case, they'd be friends for a long time. 

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